Sunday, March 1, 2015

I'm afraid that if I choose the wrong one,
I'll create a disturbance in The Force, a rift in the space/time
continuum, a glitch in the Matrix, the next Civil War, dogs and cats
living together, and certain but inevitable betrayal!

Note: this pattern and tutorial are for a small store-bought coffee cup. It's made with elastic so it can expand to fit a cup snugly, but if you're using a much larger or smaller than average cup, you made need to alter this tutorial to fit. :)

Instructions:
1. Print and cut out the Cup Cozy Template
2. Fold PUL in half width-wise, place Template on fold, and cut. Do the same for the Fleece
3. Match up PUL and Fleece, right sides together, and sew along top, bottom, and one side. Clip corners so they'll turn nicely
4. Turn right side out and cover-stitch
5. Place FOE along the side that wasn't sewn and use a wide zig-zag to stitch. Use Fray Check on edges or heat-seal
6. Place Label in center and middle of Cup Cozy and sew
7. Loop elastic, match raw edges to edge of FOE and sew very securely
8. Measure in about 1.5" from sewn side of Cup Cozy and sew button in the center, very securely
9. Make another one so you have a pair!
10. Print poem using above download link, wrap Cup Cozies with poem, and give to your favorite coffee or hot chocolate-drinking friend :)

Wednesday, December 17, 2014

I recently introduced my sister and brother-in-law to essential oils and needed a manly Christmas present for him. That's how this awesome camo essential oils holder was born. It's now under the tree and waiting for Christmas morning!

Finished Size: About 3.5" wide x 7" long.

Note:
My essential oils holder is made to hold 10 of the 5/8 dram bottles, or 8 of the 5/8 dram bottles and 1 of the 2.5" long roller bottles. If you'll be using different-sized bottles please take that into consideration when cutting fabric and elastic.

Instructions:
1. Cut PUL and Fleece to 4.75" wide x 8.25" long
2. Place PUL and Fleece right sides together and sew along both sides and bottom, using a 5/8" seam allowance.
3. Turn right side out, top-stitch, and then sew FOE along the top
4. Cut about 4" of elastic, fold in half, match ends to bottom of FOE on outside, and stitch along FOE sew line (be sure to sew this part very securely, back-stitching several times)
5. Sew label so that the top of it is about 1.5" above bottom of Holder, on outside
6. Sew button so that the top of it is about 1/2" above bottom of Holder, on outside
7. Cut 2 pieces of elastic, each about 7 and 3/4" long
8. On inside, measure 1" below top of of Holder and draw a horizontal line with your fabric marking pen. Measure 1.5" below that line, and draw another horizontal line
9. On inside, on first line, starting from left side, put a little dot with fabric marking pen every 5/8ths of an inch, for a total of 6 dots. Do the same for the second line, making sure dots line up vertically with those on first line
10. Mark the elastic: for both pieces of elastic, measure in about 1/4" from edge and make a dot with marking pen. Measure in about 1.5" from that dot and make another dot. Continue until you've made 6 total dots
11. On inside, on first line, starting from the left side, match 1st dot of one of the pieces of elastic to 1st dot on fabric and stitch vertically (be sure to double-stitch each of these lines to make sure the elastic doesn't come undone as it stretches to hold your essential oils bottles!) Continue matching dots and sewing until all 6 dots are matched and sewn. Then do the same for the 2nd row and 2nd piece of elastic
12. Add essential oils bottles and enjoy!

Monday, December 15, 2014

Need a super fast, super cute Christmas gift? These stockings are perfect! It takes about 10 minutes to do all 3. They're about 4" x 5", and are just right for a full-size candy cane and some candy. Use them for decoration, as gift tags on a present, or make a bunch for Christmas tree ornaments! Also, they take so little fabric that it's a great way to use up scraps.

Instructions:
1. Print and cut out template
2. Fold fabric in half, wrong sides together
3. Trace template onto fabric and cut through both layers of fabric
4. Cut a 5" length of ribbon
5. Keep fabric wrong sides together, fold ribbon into a loop and place at top left corner
6. Sew along sides (not the top!) with a 5/8" seam allowance, using a wide stitch (or hand stitch)
* Tip: Be sure to stitch securely, especially the top sides.
7. Make at least 2 more stockings.
8. Fill with goodies and enjoy!

Thursday, December 11, 2014

Need a quick gift bag? This one is super easy! It takes about 15 minutes, including gathering all the materials.

Supplies:About 1/3 yard of fabric (I used Babyville Boutique Chevrons and Solid Red PUL)About 20" of 1/4" wide ribbon (I used Babyville Boutique Forest Friends Ribbon) Sewing Machine, cutting board, scissors, pins, thread, needleInstructions:1. Cut the chevron BBVL PUL a bit wider than your gift and twice as long (I added about 4 inches of red PUL at the top and bottom to make it more Christmas-y)2. Fold the PUL in half lengthwise, right sides together3. Sew the 2 sides together and turn right side out4. Sew a 20" long BBVL ribbon to the back5. Insert gift, gather top of bag, tie in a cute bow. Done and done!

Monday, June 16, 2014

I received a question last week about making pillows using my grass block design. Thought I'd post a quick tip in case anyone else has the same question. :)

I've taken screenshots of both of my grass block designs: the regular and the rotated. Click the image below to see a detailed picture. Pink lines mark a 20" square (about 50cm). Blue line indicates a yard.

If you purchase 1 yard of fabric, you can make one 20" pillows/cases. You'd have about 16" of fabric leftover.

If you purchase 2 yards of fabric, you can make two 20" pillows/cases. You'd have about 32" of fabric leftover (great for a little throw blanket!)

Remember that if you cut 20" squares and sew them together, they'll end up about 18" or 19" depending on your seam allowance. :)

Thursday, June 5, 2014

Guess what?! For the next 24 hours you can get a free swatch of faux suede from Spoonflower!
Spoonflower is the company for which I do a lot of fabric, wrapping paper, and wallpaper designs. Click here to try it out!

Wednesday, April 2, 2014

My boys need bigger Minecraft costumes so I recently placed an order for more fabric from Spoonflower. Shortly after, I realized I made a mistake in my ordering. I contacted customer service and "chatted" with Tara R. She was awesome! She fixed the problem right away and was very kind. I LOVE good customer service!!!